Vehicle-wheel



(No Model.)

G. S. SHEFFIELD.

VEHICLE WHEEL. No. 279,449. Patented June 12,1883.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICES;

GEORGE S. SHEFFIELD, OF THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 279,449, dated Junef12,1883.

Applieafi'nnfiled March 9, 1893. (No monk-I.)

T0 LZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE S. SHEFFIELD, acitizen of the United States, residing at Three Rivers, county of St.Joseph, State of Michi gan, have invented a new and useful- Vheel, of

which the following is a specification.-

My invention relates to that class of wheels which are provided with detaeh ably-connected spokes.

It has for its object an improved construc tion, the utility of which isset forth in the following description.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is asideelevation with portions broken away; Fig. 2, a section on line 1 1in Fig. 1,-Fig. 3, a portion of hub in perspective; Fig. 4, aperspective view of a portion of the wheel exposed by the removal of aportion of the rim traced by line 7 8 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a brokenspoke in perspective.

The tubular portion S of the hub, which, in use, is secured 011 an axle,is provided with raised corrugations v 1) around its periphery, saidcorrugations having beveled sides, as in Figs. 1 and 3. The edges of thehub ends a. of the spokes \V rest against each other, said edges beingbeveled at the proper angle to admit of this, and to allow the spokes \Vto beglocated radially in the wheel, Fig. 1. spokes terminate in doublebeveled points 1-, adapted to fit into and fill the beveled corrugationso c, which detachably locks the spokes with the hub. By this means theends of the spokes engaging the hub have an increased bearing-surfaceagainst the hub-that is, the spokes of the lower half of the wheel allpre sent a rigid resistance to the pressure on the wheel-rim, owing tothe beveled sides of the points r resting or pressing against thebeveled sides of the corrugations o '0, Fig. 1. WVith the hub proper, S,and the spokes thus related to it, I combine improved means forpreventing lateral displacement of the spokes, consisting ofpeculiarly-constructed disks B 0, located on each side of the hub ends aof the spokes.- 4

Disk B may be cast integral with the tubular portion of the hub, Fig. 2,and disk 0 detachably placed over the other end.

disks are made with a depression in the center, and with a circulardepressiomf, between These ends a of the These. and bin ding-plate.

ends a and points 1' of the spokes should be a.

little less than the length of the corrugations e 1;. Thus when thedisks B G are secured to gether by bolts located in the holes between Vthe spokes and through the disks, Fig. 1, the

ribs (1 e are slightly embedded in the spokes. By this means the spokesare held secure by the transverse pressure of the circular ribs againstthe spokes, andin a bracing manner, as the bearing of the ribs isagainst two differ ent points between the ends of the spokes. Anyshrinkage ofthe same may be compensated for by tightening the bolts. Thepoints r are not marred nor broken, thus retaining their full neededstrength, and in the construction of the disks B C no portion of theinner face needs dressing, after having been cast, except the ribs d e.The importance of having the two bearing-surfirces or ribstransverselyacross the spokes at two different points between their ends may be moreclearly explained as follows: The liability of the spokes to twist intheir position, where they have so few rigid bearings or connections,could not be obviated by a radial rib pressing against each of them atthe radial center. A single transverse bear ing-surface against thespokes would only partially obviatethis liability, while with such aconstruction the single rib acts as a fulcrum to the spoke when thewheel rim. springs or sways in use, and the spoke acts as a lever oversaid fulcrum, throwing its lower end laterally out of place. By the useof two trans verse bearing-ribs both the twisting and leveragetendencies of thespoke are obviated, and, in addition,the wheel-rim isless liable to spring or swaylaterally. On the internal flange, L, ofthe wheel-rim are formed integral ribs 6 6, thus making arecess betweenthem, in which is locatedthe rim end of the spokes. A binding plate orcap, P, having a like recess, is placed over the spoke, and detachablysecured by a bolt, 0, passing through the flange, spoke, This forms asimple and conveniently-operated plan of securing this end of the spoke.

Having thus described my invention, what I In testimony of the foregoingI have here claim is unto subscribed my name in the presence of 10 Thecombination of the tubular hub portion, two witnesses. the spokes andthe binding disks, each of said disks being provided With two flatcircular ribs adapted to bear transversely against Vitnesses:

the sides of the spokes at the two different JAMES M. BAUER, pointsshown substantially as described. JULIUS (J. GooDWIN.

GEORGE S. SHEFFIELD.

